If you are in the rail corridor and are worried about what this means for your family, business or community, please share your impact statment below.
Please note, this is not the place to make generalized comments about HSR or the ALTO project. Comments may be deleted.
I am writing as a homeowner in Navan, Ontario, to raise concerns regarding the proposed high-speed rail corridor using the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail. My property and the surrounding landscape present four critical technical and environmental constraints that would be severely and negatively impacted by this rail.
Firstly, the land immediately behind my property is part of the Bearbrook/Leda clay deposits characteristic of the Ottawa Valley. This "sensitive" clay is prone to liquefaction and catastrophic slope failure when subjected to the high-frequency vibrations of 300 km/h rail traffic. The instability of the hill supporting my home will be at major risk from subsidence or upwelling caused by the installation of a 60-metre industrial rail right-of-way.
In addition, my residence sits at a significantly higher elevation than what could be the proposed track bed. Standard ground-level noise barriers are mathematically insufficient for hilltop properties, as sound waves have a direct line-of-sight to my living quarters. This would negatively impact the quiet enjoyment of my property, which is one of the main reasons why I bought my land. Furthermore, the area behind my street is a recognized floodplain and marshland. Construction of a raised embankment or solid track bed risks acting as a dam, potentially redirecting groundwater and surface runoff toward existing residential foundations. This would be a huge risk to my property’s drainage and the local water table. Finally, the marsh and floodplain immediately south of my property are known habitats for the Blanding's Turtle (Endangered) and Spotted Turtle (Endangered). High-speed rail corridors, which require continuous security fencing, create a "wall-like" barrier to wildlife movement. This would permanently fragment these turtles' critical nesting and overwintering corridors. This would cause mass mortality and the collapse of local turtle populations.
I’m 27 years old, just bought my first house two months ago, located in the study corridor in Mascouche, Quebec. Buying a house in this economy is a huge accomplishment. Buying a first house at 27 years old, is even a greater accomplishment. I have put money aside for the past 8 years to afford a decent home for me, my husband and my two kids. I worked hard to get there. I signed a 30 years mortgage. I’m afraid to lose my home now. I’m 100% sure the government won’t pay us a fair amount if we have to move. I paid 100k over the municipal evaluation for my house. If we loose this home, we will go bankrupt and homeless, we will never be able to afford another one, nor rent anything as the rent prices have gone up insanely. It’s a really stressful situation. Again, I have worked so hard to get there, to achieve a better life situation for my family and we might lose everything over a stupid train. That’s so unfair.
I live in the study corridor near Vars. In recent years I have struggled with an anxiety and panic disorder. I was doing very well early this year and was starting to feel like my old self. Then, at the end of March, I learned about Alto for the first time and that my home and home office are in the study corridor. I am now on two new medications and attend therapy weekly. This train project has ruined my recovery and I will never forgive Alto or the Government for the callous way in which this program was rolled out to the public.
My family owns three properties in the proposed zone. I live in one house and run a short term rental in the house next too me. I put all my money into renovating the short term rental. These two buildings are along a beautiful river. I have found it too much to run two buildings both physically and financially on my own and so I had planned on selling the short term rental and my own house and move to the third property which is further up the road. It was my dream to do this. I have put my short term rental up for sale this year but there is no interest. I believe the train has effected the already flat market. This is a very stressful situation for me as all my money and income is tied up in these buildings.